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Thursday, May 14, 2009

R. Menachem Ziemba continued

He was world renowned as a torah scholar and master of Chassidic thought.He envisaged himself as a simple Chassid of the Rebbe of Ger. He grew up in Warsaw as a formidable scholar and Genius (GAON). He corresponded with the Rogatchover who had not a high tolerance for mediocirity. As he married at 18 the daughter of a wealthy local merchant, he was not bound down by financial worries and could study torah/talmud unhindered. His fame further spread and he attracted the attention of R Meir Simcha of Dvinsk . He authored more than 10,000 pages of torah novellae during this period. He then entered commual affairs at the request of his beloved Gerrer Rebbe.Between 1930 to 35, his father in law's store was forced to close due to the depression. Offerings of Rabbinic appointments were turned down by him at this time. This was the last massive gathering before the holocaust at Marienbad .

In 1935 he, together with Rabbi Yaakov Myer Biderman, brother-in-law of the Gerrer Rebbe, and Rabbi Avraham Weinberg, was appointed to the Warsaw Rabbinate, becoming one of the foremost spokesmen for Orthodox Jewry in Poland quote

His two active roles as halachic decisor and an active role in Agudas Yisroel.

He was appointed to the Warsaw rabbinate, and was at the height of his fame at the 3rd Knessiah Gedolah at Marienbad

Rabbi Menachem Ziemba (1883–1943) (Hebrew: מנחם זמבה) was adistinguished pre-World War II Rabbi, knownas a Talmudicgenius and prodigy.He was gunned down by the Nazis in the WarsawGhetto.Contents[hide]1 Biography2 WorldWar II3Death4 Postscript5 Works//[edit]BiographyRabbi Ziemba was born in Praga, a suburb of Warsaw, in 1883. His father,Elazar, died while Menachem was still a young boy and the orphan was brought upby his grandfather Rabbi Avraham Ziemba. Rabbi Avraham had been a chassid of the Kotzker Rebbe and astudent of the Chiddushei Harim, andwas now a follower of the Sfas Emes of Gur.Rabbi Ziembawas brought up in the Gerrer chasidus byhis grandfather and remained a loyal chasid his entire life. Even years laterwhen he was world-renowned as a Torah scholar, Posek and master of Hasidicthought, he still considered himself a simple Chasid of the rebbe of Ger. When he visited Ger,he was called by his first name and refused to sit at the Rebbe's top table, anhonour reserved for visitors of note.As Rabbi Ziemba grew up in Warsaw, hegained a reputation as a formidable Talmid Chacham (scholar) and dazzlinggenius. He maintained a unique correspondence with the Gaon of Rogatchov, afiery individual not known for his tolerance of mediocrity, nor tolerance ofyounger students.At the age of eighteen, Rabbi Ziemba married the daughterof a wealthy local merchant. He was thus able to learn Torah unhindered for thenext twenty years, a time remembered by him as the happiest years of his life.His fame spread further afield, attracting the attention of Rabbi Meir Simcha ofDvinsk and others. He once confided that he authored more than 10,000 pagesof Torah novellae during this golden period.When his father-in-law died,Rabbi Ziemba found it necessary to help out in the former's store in order tocontinue supporting his family. He rejected numerous offers to serve as rabbi in many townsand cities, saying that he had more time to study while working than as acommunal rabbi.However, at the request of his beloved Gerrer Rebbe,Rabbi Ziemba entered communal affairs. He was appointed the representative ofPraga to the Kehilla Council in Warsaw.Between 1930 and 1935, the world economic depressionaffected Rabbi Ziemba. His store was forced to close. He was offered theprestigious position of Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, butturned it down. After the untimely death of Rabbi Meir Shapiro, Rabbi Ziembawas offered the position as his successor as both Rabbi of Lublin and roshyeshiva of Yeshivas ChachmeiLublin. For unknown reasons, this never came to pass.In 1935 he,together with Rabbi Yaakov Myer Biderman,brother-in-law of the Gerrer Rebbe, and Rabbi Avraham Weinberg, was appointed tothe Warsaw Rabbinate, becoming one of the foremost spokesmen for Orthodox Jewry in Poland.Aside fromhis newfound political prominence, Rabbi Ziemba became a Halachic decisorof great importance, answering questions from around the world, as well as fromPoland.Rabbi Ziemba also took an active role in the Agudas Yisroel atan early stage. At its first Knessia Gedola (great gathering), he was not yetforty when chosen to serve as honorary secretary in the Moetzes GedoleiHaTorah. At the second Knessia Gedola, Rabbi Chaim OzerGrodzenski agreed to serve as chairman of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah onlyif Rabbi Ziemba would continue in his position, while the forty-five year oldRabbi Ziemba felt himself to be too young and sought to stay in the background.At the third Knessiah Gedolah in 1937 in Marienbad, Austria, which played witness tothe last massive gathering of European Orthodoxy before the Holocaust, RabbiZiemba was at the height of his fame. He spoke twice to the full assemblage andeach time was greeted with hushed silence and awe.